Process Column Piston Drainage Trench for Liquid Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process columns with packed beds face challenges in completely removing hydraulic liquids from the hydraulic chamber and piston top side, posing health and explosion hazards, especially in large columns where spillage and residual liquids are difficult to manage.
Innovation Solution
A process column with a piston featuring a drainage trench on its top side, allowing for gravity flow and suction removal of liquids, and a method using pressurized gas to empty the hydraulic chamber through a drainage tube, ensuring safe and complete liquid removal without exposing personnel to hazardous vapors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a hydraulic chamber is used to apply compression force to the packed bed, then the compression force can be effectively applied, but liquid remains in the chamber after disassembly posing health and explosion hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful liquid from the hydraulic chamber by introducing a drainage tube that extends into the chamber and connects to a drainage receptacle. This allows the liquid to be removed separately from the compression mechanism, eliminating the hazard while preserving the compression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage tube acts as an intermediary element between the hydraulic chamber and the external environment. It provides a controlled pathway for liquid removal without compromising the structural integrity or compression capability of the original hydraulic system.
2Ease of repair
If the column is disassembled to remove the packed bed, then maintenance and cleaning can be performed, but significant liquid remains in the hydraulic chamber requiring pump removal
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage tube is pre-installed in the hydraulic chamber before disassembly begins. This preliminary arrangement allows liquid to be drained directly into the receptacle during the disassembly process, eliminating the need for additional pump removal steps and simplifying the overall maintenance procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system is designed to automatically channel liquid from the hydraulic chamber to the drainage receptacle using gravity flow. This self-draining capability eliminates the need for external pumping equipment, reducing both complexity and operational effort during maintenance.
3Productivity
If the column diameter is increased to process larger volumes, then productivity increases, but liquid removal from the piston becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage tube extends vertically into the hydraulic chamber from the top, creating a new spatial dimension for liquid removal. This vertical drainage pathway allows efficient liquid evacuation from large-diameter columns without being constrained by the horizontal dimensions, enabling the system to scale while maintaining ease of liquid removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the safe and efficient removal of substantially all liquids from the hydraulic chamber and piston top side, minimizing risks of accidental exposure and explosions, and facilitating maintenance by avoiding the need for pumps and reducing contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
introducing a drainage tube D in the chamber and pumping out the liquid
Implementation Method 2
allowing for gravity flow and suction removal of liquids
Implementation Method 3
suction removal of liquids
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention discloses a piston (4;24;54) for a process column, said piston comprising a top side (5;25;55) and a bed contact side (6;26;56), wherein said top side comprises a drainage trench (8;28;58).